Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight!

As unbelievable as it may sound, wheat has been found to drastically raise blood sugar levels higher than typical offenders such as soda pop and candy bars.

Wheat has turned on us! It’s not the same grain as it used to be centuries ago, it been genetically enhanced. It’s a super grain, “wheat strains have been hybridized, crossbred, and regressed to make the wheat plant resistant to environmental conditions, such as drought, or pathogens, such as fungi according to William Davis, MD author of Wheat Belly (a book I highly recommend you read). My clients always say “Clance, how can wheat be bad when it comes from the ground, bread has been with us since Adam”. What I am saying is that it is not the same bread! Scientists have altered the grain for profit which is having a major backlash on mankind. Obesity and heart diseases are at the highest ever!

This is important because high blood sugar correlates to high blood insulin, which promotes fat storage. Prolonged high blood sugars require more insulin production in order to metabolize the sugars into the body’s muscles and liver, when the cells are full, the body will deposit fat outside the cells, that’s when you see your mid section getting bigger and a “spare tire” starting to form.

Wheat disrupts Leptin, which plays a role along with insulin in signaling the brain when it is time to eat. Leptin also signals the brain in order to indicate when the body has consumed enough food.

The major problem with belly fat is that it is metabolically active and produces inflammatory signals and abnormal cell-to-cell hormone signals. The more visceral fat (fat deposits in the abdomen) the greater quantities of abnormal signals released into the blood stream. Visceral fat is a major health risk and promotes obesity, heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. No one knows why these elevated fat deposits tend to be in abdomen, but the organs in the abdomen get fat as well, fatty liver, two fat kidneys, fat pancreas, fat large and small intestines and a fat heart – get the picture!

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, which stimulates the appetite causing food cravings. If you have food cravings you will eat more than you need which leads to more fat deposit in your mid section!!! Gluten also takes much longer to digest. This often leads to a sluggish digestion system and can cause mal-absorption, especially if you are a prone to Celiac disease. Gluten is often a hidden ingredient in many processed foods such as candies, soy sauces, pizzas, cold cuts, bread, cookies, pastries – almost any processed food you can think of. By cutting gluten out of your diet you will reduce fat deposits.

The benefit of eliminating wheat from your diet is reduced blood sugar spikes, appropriate appetite and no overeating. Hunger is driven by normal and healthy body functioning, which is a major factor in achieving a flat stomach.